


Endling

by a6mc



Category: Claymore (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:27:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28908573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a6mc/pseuds/a6mc
Summary: In the final days of the Purge of the Awakened, Miria finds herself alone and on the run. When she finds help in the form of an unusual man, an adventurous journey begins.
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-readers: Folgoll, Derezade, mythicZed_YT, Matt  
> Find us on Discord: 4St3cMz

It's been so long since I last reflected on our journeys together, and longer still since they took place. To think it's been nearly ninety years since then is a little hard to believe. I've changed and grown so much since then that I can't say I'm still the same person.

A word before I begin, though: much of what I am to mention in this autobiographical work is indeed true, or at the very least as true as I remember it to be. I know many of you will question it's validity, but thankfully with the recent discovery by several well-esteemed historians of letters that even I didn't realize existed will help to convince you.

Now, sometime before that long ago journey, I was on another one, one that many of you may know as the Purge of the Awakened, something the remaining warriors took up following the collapse of the Organization in order to wipe out all remaining awakened beings and yoma from this land. It was a long one, lasting six years and taking me all over, from small mountain villages to deep forests, from open plains to vast deserts. It was indeed an incredible journey, and one that I'm glad to have shared with the warriors who I accompanied.

That purge was as effective as razing a pile of dry leaves and hay, ridding the island so completely of awakened beings and yoma that towards the final two years, we found ourselves spending more and more time walking, climbing, or riding to our destination than actually fighting anything, and even then many reports of these beasts only turned out to be mere red herrings. As a result, we were forced to split up during the final year and a half, saving the overall group precious time, but even this stopped working effectively, forcing us to return to where that journey began.

The Holy City. Rabona.

The city was a familiar place to me since it was our base of operations following our descent from the northern region of Alphonse and the scene of what many would consider one of the most intense battles ever had. But given the handful of times I had been there since those events, it was more than that to me; it was like a home away from home, a place where both the past and present collided with each other, reminding me of my successes, failures, past mistakes, and how far I've come from the early days of my employment by the Organization. I was reminded of those more difficult times, but also of the moments of happiness I shared, the many nights where I stayed up pondering on what the next part of the plan would be and the fewer evenings where I found myself speaking and drinking with the other survivors whom followed me from the north. This flow of past memories would always appear whenever I entered those gates, like a warm and welcomed hug from the city, and it was a nostalgia I was always secretly fond of, having told no one except a close and familiar friend who resided within the city.

When I was last there, I was with nearly a dozen and a half warriors, but when I returned for the final time at the conclusion of this journey, we only numbered ten, though not from warriors dying off. Although we did lose one during a surprise battle against two strong awakened beings within those six years, the main reason for the number dropping was from the different groups splitting off. Of note was a warrior by the name of Dietrich, who split off from the main group to travel eastward shortly after I made the decision to travel from the western region of Lautrec back to the city of Rabona in Toulouse. But regardless of this, in that moment I was finally back after this long journey, regardless of how brief of a visit it was.

We were initially greeted by the guards stationed just beyond the city gates, of whom one rushed into the city to grab the head of the guard for a proper welcome. I knew only one of the guards myself as I had met them during the last time we visited, and we spoke to each other, my hearing about his training with a warrior by the name of Miata and a few others. Admittedly the others were bored of the conversation, but I was intrigued by this man since I was the one to convince the city guard to take him on in the first place several years ago. I will not go into details on that story, though, so it'll be for another time.

Quite a bit of time passed when the head of the guard arrived, apparently being at the other side of the city, thankfully saving the rest of the group from hearing further banter between myself and the other guards. Also around this time, I found that a group of onlookers was steadily growing, watching us from afar, many knowing who we were, or at the very least who I was, and wanting to catch a glimpse of me and the others. The head of the guard broke the growing crowd up, telling them to move on with their business, and after some talking between him and the others, we finally spoke to each other.

"Galk. It's been too long," I said to him.

"Miria," he returned with a smile. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Of course not," I replied.

He turned to the guards and told them to stay at their posts, to which they obliged, and after that, he signaled to us to follow him and myself into the city.

"What brings you back?" he asked.

"Since we were last here? We just need more information on what remains for us to deal with. It's become touch and go lately on the accuracy of reports, so we were hoping to get a helping hand from Sister Latea."

"Ah, well I'm sure she'll be of great help to you."

"And what about you? How have you been?"

"I've been as busy as you'd expect."

He continued for a bit as we walked through the city, talking about his family and his work. Of course, the others behind simply spoke amongst themselves, but I was glad to listen to Galk, hearing about his family and his children, the city as a whole, and the few sparse details about incidents that occurred in and around the city since I was gone. Whenever there was a lull in the conversation, I found myself admiring the city as it existed in that moment, the residents and travelers going about their own lives, the bits and pieces of conversation that I could barely make out. It all showed how alive the city was, how much it had grown, recovered and grew some more since I first came so many years ago. It was magical to say the least, though I doubt many of the others would agree with me.

 _I'm getting old._ I thought then, a desire to quietly watch things as they unfolded that often pulled at my heartstrings returning once more. Truthfully, it was a desire that came about a few years back, but for reasons I'll get into shortly, the desire was stronger than ever before.

We finally arrived at our first stop within the city, the grand cathedral at the heart of it all. It was a magnificent structure, several towers climbing higher than anyone could wish to jump, towering over the buildings surrounding it. Despite the imposing appearance, it's bland, light grey color, the shape of the shadows cast on its surface by the light of the sun, and the color of the stained glass made it out into a beautiful structure to behold. There, within it's hallowed halls, I would find some fellow friends of mine, especially one in particular whom I needed to see immediately. Galk and I stopped, as well as the others, and after he told us where to find him next, he took off towards another part of the city. I turned to the others and mentioned that I would be going in alone as I didn't want to spark too much panic or excitement, and with everyone nodding in agreement, I went in, making my way up the steps and into the structure proper.

Even though I had been within the place several times before, I was always taken aback with how large and magnificent the interior was, light from the stained glass windows shining in and illuminating everything in many vibrant colors. The size of the main room was so large it easily dwarfed any structure I had ever stepped foot in, manmade or otherwise. I heard stories years ago of how long it took to build the structure, something like a hundred and five years to build, and but regardless of that, it was incredible to stand within it and look up to.

I was approached by one of the nuns within, whom I presume had just finished prayer, and after explaining to her that I was there for Sister Latea, she told me that she would lead me to the sisters' chambers where she was located.

She led me outside of the hallowed halls and into the city square with all the other warriors, and once we all met up, we were lead further to the sisters' quarters, a small subsection of the city by the street near the church were the sisters of the faith lived, prayed, and worked. After entering the main hall and having to explain to the guards there why there was a crowd of warriors trying to enter, we were finally led in.

Once inside, the other warriors went off to do their own activities within the chambers; some chatted among themselves, others either talked to the older trainees or played with the still younger ones, and others still wandered off to find some peace and quiet, with a few leaving the building altogether. I was tempted to do the same, and was in fact planning on it, but I first needed to speak with Sister Latea as she was now known as.

Many of you are aware of her already so I'll save the trouble of retelling her story, but I knew her by her true name, Galatea. Although I've worked with her on occasion during the old days of the Organization, it wasn't until just before it's fall that our friendship truly began to blossom after she convinced the city to house myself and six other warriors from the Organization, keeping our existence as survivors of the Northern Campaign a guarded secret. We both became rather close after that time; I would write to her regularly, whether it be for advice, life, or any matter of mere conversation, and since my writing to anyone was something I almost never did let alone to her, I knew rather quickly that she was a cherished friend, a sister to me.

The nun from before hurried off after we went inside, likely to tell Galatea of who had arrived, and after standing around speaking with some of the other warriors, the nun returned with the woman beside her.

"Galatea," I said with a smile.

"It's been a long time, Miria," she replied, smiling as well.

"You wouldn't mind if we talked for a bit, would you?"

"Of course not. I have ample time." She raised her arm to signal me to come with her. "Come, let's go to my chambers." Nodding and affirming in reply, I followed her.

* * *

We spoke for a great deal of time, going over anything and everything given that we hadn't spoken in nearly a year and a half, and we went over so much during that time that I couldn't begin to get into detail on some of it since it's far too long since those days. The conversation was winding and long, something that I rarely had the chance to enjoy, and with her I had the opportunity to discuss a great deal of varying topics, more than what would've been discussed in our letters, whether due to the sheer volume of information or the timing of it all. In short, we laughed, we reflected, and enjoyed our time there.

But of this long conversation, the only part of it that is of importance to my story I'm telling you is the final brief topic or two we went over in this sitting. She knew of the hunts we had in the south and west, and she knew of my concerns in sensing an awakened being now that things were winding down, right down to my reasoning for sending Dietrich east to verify if there were others out there. From that point on, I recall most of what was said during that conversation with her.

"That would explain why you came to visit so suddenly," she said, responding to my summary of events.

"Yeah," I replied with a sort of half-sigh. "The last time I visited, you gave me some valuable information regarding a few remaining awakened beings, so valuable it enabled us to hunt down a sizeable number of them by splitting them up and taking care of them one by one."

"And so you've come to me for some more." I affirmed her question. Her eyes drifted down in thought, almost out of habit for when she could once see, but after a moment, she closed her eyes with a smile, only to open them once more after a pause. "Very well."

She again paused to think or perhaps sense her surroundings. "I've sensed a few over the course of a few months, but one by one they have been disappearing from my perception, likely from you dealing with them. So far, I can still sense a few in the north, a stronger one in the south, and one in the west."

"How many in the north?" I asked her. I heard rumors and sensed one or two there during my journeys these past six years, but given that the region was completed void of anyone, or at the very least nearly so, I didn't want to risk a push into the region with the possibility that there was a sizeable number hiding out there since the collapse, especially given that it was well known by the warriors around then that the organization created a large number of awakened beings while it was in its dying throws.

"Three, maybe four at most." She seemed to be struggling to determine the number. "It's difficult to sense with how far north they are and how much they are trying to hide."

"Excellent." I responded positively to the limited number she spoke of. "And given how much the others have improved in skill since we started, we should be able to split up further."

"There is another."

I was surprised by the tone of her voice, one of concern or even mere realization, maybe even a mix of several emotions. I didn't know what it was she felt at that moment, but given the expression and tone, I was definitely concerned. She was silent for a moment as she focused on whatever she was sensing, but this was finally broken with a soft sigh from her:

"There's one that's east of here, a faint one. But, it's in an area experiencing some unrest near the eastern board. I've only heard rumors so far, but there's likely a witch hunt ongoing in and around the town of Parinia as well, which is also located near the border. If I had to guess, it's likely the awakened being trying to protect itself."

"Interesting," I said, thinking of what the plan would be for the group. "Coincidentally, Dietrich split from our group a while back to head eastward. I wonder if she knows of it."

The warrior shifted position a bit to become more comfortable. "Maybe," she responded, "Maybe, but the only way to know for sure is getting eyes and ears out there."

There was a lapse in the conversation as I was continuing to think of our next plan, my mind racing of possible outcomes of the battles to be had, various groupings of warriors on each hunt, when to split up, and many other aspects of the whole journey to come. I was both excited and nervous for it all, but there was only one small issue that I had to plan around, one that I hadn't told her yet and wanted to do so in person.

"Getting information from me wasn't the only reason you visited though, isn't it?" And of course, she sensed something was up. "Something else was on your mind. I can tell."

I sighed as she saw right through it all, knowing full well that this would be the other primary reason for my visit, aside from wanting to chat and getting help in finding new awakened targets, but I knew that if anyone was to know first, it should be her.

"I didn't know a good time to tell everyone until we got here, but I wanted you to be the first to know." I took a breath just before saying it. "This next hunt will be my last."

"Your last?" She seemed surprised, shocked even, that I would say something like that. I decided to make an attempt to explain the whole thing to her.

"Yeah," I replied. "When I started this journey, I did it out of a sense of duty and respect for Tabitha, and with it came many great experiences and many different emotions, but after six years, all this fighting and traveling has lost its luster. I found I wanted something different, something quiet."

"You want to move on," she added, understanding fully what I saying. When I affirmed her, she suddenly smiled, saying, "If that's the case, then I'm glad for you. You've never settled down before as far as I can tell, and you've been at this for a very long time now. If anything, you truly deserve it."

I was taken aback by her kind words as I wasn't expecting such a wholesome response to my telling her. Then again, at that time, I didn't know what to expect from her, though now that I think about it years later, her response was rather likely, given how soft she had become from her years with the church. But no matter what the reasoning was, in that moment, I was truly touched with her supportiveness.

After a moment to take it in, I smiled and finally said, "Thank you, Galatea."

"When are you planning on telling the others?" She asked shortly after, though truth be told, I knew the answer to that question when I decided to circle back to the holy city a month prior.

"I was thinking once we reconvene here in the holy city as I don't want to cause too much uncertainty. Besides, with the one awakened being in the south, we should be able to bring Helen and Deneve up to replace me."

"And if they don't want to?"

I grinned. "They will. I know Deneve too well.

"And what of Tabitha's sword?"

The question hung for a moment as I wasn't prepared for it. For those of you unaware of who she is, she was one of the warriors--no, friends--I fought alongside during the Northern Campaign and whom traveled with me and five others for seven years following it's outcome. The reason why that name may not ring a bell, of course, is that she died during the Battle of Rabona, one of a handful of casualties during that great battle and, rather sadly, ended up as a mere footnote in history.

The truth, though, is that she was a dear friend of mine. We were close, at times even closer than I ever was with Galatea, and as a result, her loss hit me quite hard. In fact, avenging her death was one of the main reasons I decided to travel the island and purge the awakened beings and yoma in the first place. She was the first to point it out, seeding the idea in my mind all those years ago before the eventual collapse, so as a means of honoring her, I took up her blade instead of my own and carried on.

I had to sit and think about it for a moment, wondering if I should return it or keep it during the hunt or even keep it indefinitely, but in spite of wanting to swap for my old blade, I made the decision to keep hers as, to me, it still felt wrong to give it up, like I was letting the last living piece of her die.

"Once this is over, I'll return it and take back my own," I said after a long pause. Galatea seemed to subtly frown at my answer as perhaps she was hoping I'd return it, or perhaps she was thinking something else; in that moment, I had no idea.

"Very well," she said. After this, we carried on a bit longer in conversation before we left to speak with the others again.

* * *

Following the whole conversation, which lasted long enough for it to be late in the afternoon, we found ourselves nearly alone in the sisters' chambers, save for a few nuns mulling about and two warriors chatting quietly with each other at the end of the hall. It was quickly apparent to me that the two warriors were waiting for me and Galatea to finish speaking so they could alert the others as, once I turned to them, one of them said they would fetch the others before hurrying down the hall. This gave Galatea and myself some more time to converse and for me to devise a plan moving forward.

It was a great deal of time later until all of the warriors had grouped up once more, but once everyone was back, Galatea lead us to the dining hall for us to discuss the plan ahead. I had been in the room several times before over the years, treating it at times as an impromptu staging area for the warriors to lay out a plan or journey before taking off from the city, though this was always done with the permission of the head of the nunnery or, in one instance, the head of the church. Once inside the hall and the others quieted down, I began with the rundown of the plan:

"Based on what Galatea has told me, there are a total of seven awakened beings remaining, with four in the far northern reaches of Alphonse, one in the south, one in the west, and one at the eastern edge of this region. For the sake of speed, we'll split once more into several teams. Given the larger number in the north, we will wait until all other threats have been dealt with before reconvening and making a move there.

"Anastasia, Nike, Abigail, the three of you will be positioned just south of the Alphonic border to keep watch. If you sense any awakened beings making a move south, report back to Rabona to alert those stationed there."

"Certainly," Anastasia replied.

"Rachel, Audrey," I continued. "You two will be dealing with the awakened being in Mucha. You two will also be responsible for bringing in Helen and Deneve for the eventual push to the north. I recommend finding them first before taking on the awakened being as it's likely to be quite strong."

"Helen?" Rachel scoffed, a reaction that immediately caused Audrey to smile. "This 'aughta be good."

"Clarissa, Minerva," I further continued after grinning myself at her response. "The two of you will head northwest and wait in the Toulousean border town of Donora. I will send Dietrich there. Once she arrives, the three of you will be responsible for defeating the awakened being in the western region."

The two simply nodded in response. "Lastly, Nina and Noma. You two will travel east to deal with the final awakened being near the town of Urek. It's a likely a weaker one so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Other than that, everyone else will reside in the city for the time being. Now with all that said, are there any questions remaining?"

Upon asking that, there was a small pause as all the warriors looked over each other, almost as if looking to see if anyone was either hesitant to ask something or waiting for the right time to ask. Eventually Minerva spoke up.

"What about you, Miria?" She asked. "Will you be residing in the holy city?"

Several others agreed with her question, turning to me expecting an answer.

"You gonna be kickin' back with Galatea?" Rachel asked suddenly, which caused a collection of scoffs, chuckles, grins, and smiles all around, including from me and Galatea.

"No, actually." I replied. "I'll be traveling with Nina and Noma eastward. I would like to be the one to tell Dietrich of the change in plans, that and I have some other business out there to begin with."

"What sort of business?" Nike asked.

"Nike," Anastasia responded in a low tone. "You know it's rude to pry."

"No, it's alright. If you must know," I replied, then sighing softly, "I'm looking for a place to live after all of this is over, as should all of you. If you don't have plans for when this war finally ends, I suggest making some as that time's quickly closing in."

All of the warriors seemed a bit surprised to hear it, but after a moment, they all were grinning, realizing that they were nearing the end of their long journey. I admit it was tempting in that moment to mention my retirement, when I was planning on moving forward with my life as all of them should as well, but I knew of what I needed to do first, to deal with this last mission and ensure Dietrich would join up with the group that would be stationed in the northwest, as frustrating as it was for me in that moment.

* * *

After the meeting, which continued on for a short while longer, everyone including myself went their separate ways once more, giving me some time to speak with others I hadn't seen in years once more. Although I can't recall what those conversations were about anymore, I remember I spoke with several other warriors who were either stationed in the city or retired there. Despite this of course, a single thing hung over my head as I did all this.

Galatea's question about Tabitha's sword, or rather her reaction to my answer, troubled me. At the time, I didn't know what went through her mind to cause the reaction, but it was enough to cause me to second guess my answer, and more over my final decision, on the matter. Thankfully I was not too distant to my fellow warrior in conversation, but it was there for a time, nagging at the back of my head.

 _Should I just return it?_ I thought at one point. _Perhaps I was underthinking the decision._

When sunset approached, I made my way to the outskirts of the city beyond its walls, to one of the small church buildings that resided there, and ultimately to where she was buried. It was a long walk, giving me more time to think and reflect on things, passing by some of the others in the city who were closing up and headed home, with many other citizens having gone in for the evening. I confess I've never been comfortable in the city, not since the becoming a warrior and being on the move a lot, but for once I found myself in appreciation of it.

I finally made it out of the gates, letting the guards know of where I was going so they could let me in again, and once done, I continued down the road until I reached the church. From the street I could see the sword, it peaking over the fence and other headstones there, and weirdly it was like seeing an old friend in the street in the distance, a smile appearing on my face as I approached, knowing that she was still there. When I finally got to it, the sun was already partially below the mountains in the west, lighting the area surrounding her grave in an ethereal glow, and although my travels weren't over, for that single moment, I felt at ease, merely taking in the moment as the sun set further below the horizon until it finally disappeared.

It was my own sword in the ground as a grave marker to the fallen warrior, the blade itself swapped with the one on my back out of respect or symbolism. I took a moment to reflect on our time together, kneeling down to touch the ground. I mentioned already it was hard to forget her given how close we were when she died, but even in that moment, I felt an absence in my heart for her. I missed her, more than my family, more than my oldest, now-long dead friends. But more importantly, I found myself proud to have fought alongside her.

It felt like an instant for me until I stood up again, feeling the strings of life pull me back to reality, and soon I found out why that was.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Although the voice was a surprise, it didn't startle me as the tone and way of speaking was very familiar to me. The only thing I did was stand there looking at the sword before me, a smile on my face for both I knew who had found me here and that I was still basking in what some might refer to as the memories we shared.

"Galatea," I said simply. "Just paying my respects."

As I looked on to the grave, memories continued flowing through my mind as before, the silence surrounding me being peaceful and comforting, save for the sound of the slight breeze in the trees and the chirping of crickets starting as dusk was approaching. I stood there for quite some time before I finally spoke again, Galatea still standing behind me, perhaps enjoying the evening air as well.

"I still find it hard to believe that it's almost over. All this fighting and death, hurt and sadness, all of it. Soon it'll only be peace for us all, if only for a time. But..."

I hesitated to say it. The thought stung at me, the realization that she wouldn't being able to experience the peace we were about to experience then, more than it did with others. For me, I had a feeling that experiencing peace without her was wrong, like I was betraying her in some way, but despite that...

"But?" Galatea asked me.

"I can't help but feel..." I couldn't get the words out then, but with a sigh, I said finally, "saddened that she couldn't experience this with us."

"But, she _is_ experiencing it," she responded. "She's at peace, no pain or suffering of any kind."

"So, you've told me," I said, turning slightly for a moment to say it to her. She chuckled softly.

"If I had to guess, it's you who needs this more than any of the other warriors, a conclusion to this chapter of your life, and an introduction to the next. You remember my question from before, about her sword?"

"Yeah."

"That's why I asked, to see if you were really ready to let go, for this final mission to be for you and not just for her."

I stood there thinking for a moment about what she just said, the words hanging in my mind and echoing about like a stone being tossed into a cave. What she said then was true, but it was something I didn't feel ready or perhaps feared to face all this time, that it was time to move on and focus on my own life, not on that of Tabitha's.

I sighed, both in sadness and in an relief. "Perhaps you're right," I said softly. "Maybe it's time to put things to rest."

There was a pause shared between us as I continued in thought. I didn't see it until some time later, but I was indeed scared to let go as if doing so would doom me to somehow forget about her. I was torn between the two options then, but eventually I was drawn away from it by the sounds of the wind picking up slightly within the trees, leaves and branches swaying from side to side. To this day, I swear to it that the sudden blow was her telling me which to choose. It was then that I decided which path to take.

I slowly reached for the blade in the ground before me, and with it in my grasp, I pulled, not just with physical strength but with the strength I mustered deeper down. Even though it was there for just over six years, it came out of the ground with ease, the metal ringing softly as it left the earth. Holding the blade in my left hand, I removed the one on my back with my right, it, too, ringing softly, and in one motion, I placed it into the ground, the soil swallowing it as it went in. Once I was sure it was deep enough down so it wouldn't fall over, I finally stepped back.

With that action, the wind died down, until the trees were nearly still now, and with that, it was quiet once more.

"Galatea," I said finally, turning to her.

She was smiling. "Yes?"

"Thank you," I continued simply. "I think that was the final push I needed."

After this, the two of us went into the city and to the sisters' chambers once more, the light in the sky now far dimmer than it was before, signaling the coming of night.

Much of what happened from that night to when we left the city are now vague memories, many of which I have forgotten over the years, but of what I do remember is fairly inconsequential. A sleepless night and a conversation with a few warriors, of whom some were nervous of the days to come; a night of drunken entertainment with all of them, of which I remember only having to keep track of them all to ensure no one destroyed anything; and a midday match between two warriors to settle a long standing bet, though I can't remember who won it. Despite it all, I only remember being happy to spend my time with them as it happened, glad to be alive and grateful for what the future would hold, though I have Galatea to thank for that.

After a few days of resting together, it was soon time for us to depart on our separate journeys, each of us arriving at the eastern gates of the city early in the morning just after sunrise. After sharing some light conversation with each other, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways as we had planned earlier. To this day I can't remember what went on when I headed east with Nina and Noma over the course of several days, but one thing I never forgot was a single thought I had in my mind, that with the conclusion of this hunt I would finally be free.

Little did I know what was truly in store for me in those coming months.


	2. A Down Payment Due

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-readers: Matt, mythicZed_YT, Folgoll, Derezade  
> Find us on Discord: 4St3cMz

In the years I've been alive, I safely say that freedom has never been simply given but always earned and fought for in some way. Even the simplest of freedoms come at a steep price. It was only sheer blindness or willful ignorance for me to assume I had already paid the price for freedom back then, with all the traveling and fighting I did to rid the island of yoma and the awakened. But, I was mistaken and ignorant of it, and ultimately a time would come where I would be forced to pay the price.

I mentioned previously that I didn't quite recall what went on for several days after leaving the Holy City, but in reality, much of it was pushed out of my mind following a single incident that occurred while on the road to Urek. It was a moment that crushes me to think about to this day, a moment that I now know was caused by forces not only beyond my control but beyond my knowledge. At times, I wished for that moment to have never occurred. It was for a time what I considered to be the worst battle I ever partook in, and it was ultimately the moment my new journey began, not through careful planning or my own decision but through circumstance outside of my will.

* * *

Before the three of us even made it halfway to Urek, we encountered an awakened being, one that appeared in the form of a large, white-maned, wolf-like creature with the legs of a horse and with claws as long and as sharp as butcher's cleavers. It was faster and stronger than we initially anticipated then, forcing me to use my own technique to distract it enough to allow for the other two to land blows to it. The battle itself was long, lasting from sunset to the complete darkness of night, save for the light of the moon casting the shadows of trees and leaves everywhere. But, despite the difficulties, despite the injuries and growing exhaustion, we succeeded in defeating it, Nina landing the final few heavy blows and Noma cutting the body to pieces with her own technique in case it would regenerate or was feigning its death.

With its body now still and shredded, we finally had a chance to regroup. I took the time to check the body for movement or yoki, wanting to be sure it was truly dead, while Noma and Nina took a moment to catch their breath. One of the two placed her sword into the ground, though who it was I can't recall exactly, and sat down to rest her legs.

"Well," Noma began between breaths, "that was harder than expected."

Nina, whose eyes were focused on the remains before her, didn't speak, forced only to breath as if she were fighting the urge to pass out. I turned to them and nodded, also unable to respond due to being out of breath.

A short time later Nina finally spoke: "You think that's... the one we're after? From around Urek?"

"Good question," Noma replied. "Maybe."

"But, why was it headed northeast?" I asked. "Given the unrest in that area, surely it would still be there."

The whole situation seemed strange to me still, the fact that the awakened being was nowhere near that part of the region and yet heading in its direction. Not only this, there weren't many reports of disappearances in the region at that time, which puzzled me even more. It was as if it was running, trying to escape something. _Perhaps this was the one from the south?_ I thought to myself, _but still it didn't add up._

Around this time, one of the two stood up and stretched their back.

"You have a point," Nina said in response to my query. "Something's definitely off about this one."

"Perhaps it wasn't actually there the entire time?" Noma asked. Her question caused both of us to turn to her in confusion, though Nina was more outwardly expressive about it, furrowing her brow as she looked to her.

"What?" She asked.

"You know," Noma continued, "Maybe it attempted to head south only to turn back because of something."

"You're overthinking it," Nina responded. "If anything, it would have to be the one Galatea sensed from the south."

"Maybe. But think about it for a momen--"

It was then that I suddenly sensed a strong amount of yoki come from my right mere feet away from me, originating from the remains of the awakened being we had just defeated, indeed the worst possible outcome of the battle. I had no time to think then, so without wasting a single moment, I turned to them and exclaimed, "Get back!"

We all leapt away from the body, stopping at various distances away, and it was well-timed as I myself missed narrowly being hit by the swipe of a mass of tentacles directed all around. With our swords in hand, we watched intently as the swiping began to cease, and as soon as I was aware of what I was witnessing, I watched in horror as the awakened being began to regenerate itself from its remains, every piece being pulled together and merging with each other in a writhing mass of flesh, bone, and blood.

"Shit," one of them cursed, though I can never remember which.

"Miria? What should we do now?" the other asked. I couldn't say anything as I watched since I hadn't seen or even listened to something quite like this up close, the sights and sounds of bone and muscle attaching and being pulled together indescribable, enough so to cause even the most seasoned doctor to gag. The warrior asked again, "Miria?"

As the awakened being slowly took shape, I finally spit out whatever I could think of, that being one word: "Retreat!"

The awakened being was nearly complete in reconstructing itself when it suddenly lunged at Noma, using it's horse-like legs to approach her at great speed. Thankfully she foresaw something like this and leapt to the side, evading the swipe of its massive razor-sharp claws, but that was only the start of it; the awakened being had pinpointed who the weakest among us was, something I picked up on very quickly.

Nina and I were forced to jump in and assist, but given the circumstances of her plight, it was difficult to do so, the awakened being now following her every move and making an almost wild attempt to hit her each time. It was a dizzying display of swings and swipes from both it's claws and tendrils coming from its back, with each one that missed having enough power behind it to cut clean through a tree or turn a boulder into dust. It was indeed difficult for us to jump in given how fast the awakened being was moving, so for that time Nina and I could only watch as Noma desperately and narrowly avoided each attack. Although Noma managed for a time, even going as far as countering one or two of the oncoming strikes from the thing, given how tired she was to begin with it was only a matter of time until a strike from the beast would land.

Eventually that time came, and she was hit in the front from a single swing of the claw of the awakened being, slicing her gut and creating a mist of blood. In spite of this, she put her hand over the wound and continued to evade strike after strike, signifying the injury was likely superficial. This continued a bit more, many more evasions and a few more superficial injuries, until I saw the opening I needed to end this quickly.

"The arms, Nina!" I exclaimed to the warrior, and without even a response, she started using her technique, her blade a mere blur as she closed in quickly on the awakened being. I also started using my own to full effect, moving quickly around the awakened being, partially to distract it and partially to whittle away at it's legs. "Let's finish this!"

In a critical underestimation of the opponent, though, it saw right through us.

Suddenly, and without so much as a warning, it moved quickly away from Noma to focus on our attacks, dragging us around and forcing us into another game of cat and mouse though the use of its legs and tentacles. It was fluid in movement and quick witted, something that I knew from the previous battle, but much more so than I observed before. It was difficult to land even a single blow on the thing with how fast and erratic it was moving, but thankfully not impossible as we all managed to take off some tentacles and cut a bit at its legs and arms.

We made another error in judgement after this, attempting to close and deal greater damage to the thing. This resulted in the awakened being stopping and making a wide swiping motion with everything it had, managing to knock Nina and myself away, though Noma was thankfully spared from the strike. Looking back on it, the strike hurt like hell, but I can only imagine how much it hurt Nina as she hit the ground sliding and rolling around, whereas I landed on my feet and slid to a stop.

When I came to a stop, I witnessed the awakened being turned on Noma again, this time unleashing every remaining slender appendage onto her, each one stabbing her in various places aside from the head, which I thought at the time was a clear attempt to simply disable her. I immediately closed in on her with my technique, removing the tentacles and circling the awakened being numerous times to distract it, causing it to be left swinging wildly at all of my afterimages.

"Noma!" I heard Nina shout. "Leave her to distract it, but I need you to cover me!"

"Yeah," I heard the other's voice go. This immediately alarmed me as a bad idea.

"No!" I shouted to them, becoming winded again. I stopped circling the awakened being for a brief moment and stood behind it as it attempted to find where I was. "Regenerate your injuries and retreat while you still have the chance!"

"What?" Nina asked. She said something else, but I didn't hear it as I returned to distracting the beast before me, moving around it quickly. This clearly annoyed the awakened being enough to start crying out and swiping wildly again, and although I evaded each, it was slowly becoming more and more intense and thusly harder and harder to evade strikes. Just then, it did what I thought was impossible. After stopping for a brief moment as if to observe my movements, in a single swift motion, it swung with all its might at one of the afterimages.

It hit me, and hard.

I was knocked back at great speed, faster than I think I had ever moved before, the air whistling past me as I observed the awakened being get suddenly smaller in the distance. After what felt like an eternity in the air but was likely only a fraction of an instant, I slammed into something hard, causing me to come to a sudden stop and fall to the ground, my blade continuing on a short distance behind me on its own inertia. After waiting a moment on the ground for my head to stop spinning, I attempted to get to my feet, but this was in vain as my leg buckled beneath me, a tremendous pain shooting out from it as I hit the ground, causing me to cry out.

I was left sitting against this tree, my leg thoroughly broken, and my sword a distance away from me, close to the worst situation imaginable, but it only got worse from there. I was forced to watch as Nina and Noma continue on with the former's plan, much to my dismay.

 _I need to regenerate, and fast!_ I thought to myself, trying to focus on both my leg and the battle. _If this goes on any further, they'll get themselves killed._

Nina immediately started using her technique again, her blade homing in on the awakened being before her, and with her was Noma moving alongside her providing cover. The blade moved like a phantom, having a mind of its own as it closed in on its target, and even when the beast moved out of the way or attempted to counter, the blade simply changed direction with little hesitation, almost like that of a hunting dog on its prey.

It was a stressful while of watching the two fight it alone, Nina nearly being cut down numerous times by the awakened being, but each time it would fail as Noma would come in and divert the strike. The two clearly worked well together despite being vastly different ranks, something I suspected in the past but never truly got to see until that moment, but part of me knew it wouldn't be enough as they clearly began to tire again.

After some more time watching, I looked down to my leg to see its progress. _Come on. Halfway there._

I continued to watch as things unfolded, the two warriors having managed to remove the arm of the awakened being and most of its tentacles, leaving the thing to start frantically try to block or counter every strike thrown its way. This clearly did very little given Nina's technique, but after a short while of this frantic cat and mouse, the awakened being changed its methods, moving its focus away from Nina and back towards the Noma.

Noma, given the circumstances, was forced to change tactics, moving from purely blocking strikes for Nina to drawing away attention from her so her attacks could land more easily. I thought it was brilliant of a tactic at the time as it gave them a slight upper hand in the grand scheme of things, but there was a risk of Noma being cornered that I picked up on immediately. It was ultimately a delicate balance, one made more unstable with each moment that passed given their exhaustion.

And then, the unthinkable happened.

The awakened being stopped in its tracks, giving the opening Nina and Noma needed to defeat it, and as they closed in to land a combined blow, it simply reached out with its tentacles and its remaining arm, stopping the strike and grabbing hold of both Nina's blade with its remaining hand and Noma's arms which were then held down by the squirming appendages. After a stunned pause, the awakened being regenerated all of its missing tendrils, and in one swift motion, unleashed all of them into the chest of Noma, stabbing her completely through in a mist of blood.

"Got you," the thing said.

Nina and I were forced to watch as the awakened being ripped Noma apart, her body being shredded in an instant, and with two of the tentacles free, the now-dead warrior's blade was picked up before it even had a chance to hit the ground.

"Run, Nina!" I shouted as I watched the awakened being turn to her, a look of sheer terror in her eyes. It was perhaps the most vulnerable I had ever seen her, so it was no wonder that she didn't let go of her blade and escape. Everything went quiet after this as I can only assume my mind was attempting to process what I was witnessing.

Just then, the awakened being regenerated its missing arm in an instant, so quickly in fact that the blood that was dripping from it's previous stump was ejected at such great speed that it turned into a mist that glistened in the moonlight. After this, it turned to Nina, said something which I failed to hear, and violently ripped the blade from her hands, so much so as to separate her arms completely from her body. It then kicked her with one of it's horse legs, knocking her into a tree at such a great speed that the tree adopted a sudden tilt from the impact, leaves and loose branches being knocked out and onto the ground.

Before she had a chance to fall from the tree following her impact, the awakened being threw her own blade at her, stabbing her in the chest and into the tree trunk just behind her to the point that the cross of her blade was now touching her chest. This signified not the end of Nina's life but the end of her last battle.

In those moments, I was truly helpless, more than during the Northern Campaign, more than during the death of my friends, more than any other moment in my life. There was literally nothing I could do, and even to this day, it weighs heavy on my heart. I was forced to watch the conclusion of her life, slower than with Noma's who, in my mind today, suffered less than Nina would. As I watched speechless, the awakened being slowly approached the woman with Noma's blade in hand until it was standing just at eye-level with her, looking into her eyes for what I can only assume felt like an eternity for her. This moment of pause soon ended with one last act, the awakened being beheading her with Noma's blade and swiping at her with it's free claw, finally cutting the warrior in six.

It was then that the awakened being remembered I was still there, turning partially towards me, blade still in hand. My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met, and quickly this sudden surprise was swapped out with only pure and utter terror, holding my breath as I watched it slowly turn to face me, it's golden eyes and white mane glistening in the moonlight, as did the blade in hand covered in the blood of the others. I was completely frozen in fear.

After an eternity, it began to approach slowly, and with it came panic. I immediately looked down to my leg to see the progress on the breaks I sustained, and in finding them still not done, I pushed to finish it, rushing the healing so much so that the injury began to severely ache, making it harder to focus. I looked up from it briefly, and saw that it was closing in, stepping on pools of blood and warriors remains as it did. Suddenly, I sensed a tremendous burst of yoki that lasted for but an instant, and I immediately lost focus on regeneration, looking up to the awakened being, fully expecting it to be charging towards me.

But when I looked up, I saw something miraculous; the awakened being had stopped in its tracks, a look of fear in its eye. There was a tense silence just then, the sound of the breeze in the trees filling this just enough to not make it unbearable. It quickly turned its head south, almost as if it was double checking what it sensed, that or it was experiencing a moment of panic, but in either case, it was scared and looking for the source.

"No," I heard it say in a low and wrath-filled tone between its teeth. "Not now."

As soon as it said this, I sensed the burst of yoki again, this time stronger than before. _It's getting closer,_ I thought as tension rose. _Something strong. It's getting closer._

After the second burst disappeared, I turned to the awakened being, only to be met with a look of anger due to what I presumed was frustration for not finishing me off, and following this was the sound of Noma's blade hitting the ground as the awakened being dropped it. Then, with only slight hesitation, the awakened being leaped off.

I held my breath for some time, fully expecting something larger or stronger to come running by, but when nothing came, I breathed again.

There was a moment of pause for me as I attempted to catch my breath where I began to fully realize what had just occurred. I was filled with a churning mixture of emotions; rage, sadness, relief, joy, frustration, confusion, pain. It was a mixture similar to what I felt with the death of my first friend within the Organization, a warrior by the name of Hilda, but in this case, it was far stronger, far more turbulent, and far more confusing. I was left breathing heavily, letting go of my leg and leaning back onto the tree trunk, and without even noticing until shortly thereafter, I cried, something I hadn't done since the Battle in the North thirteen years prior.

Somehow I survived that night, just as I somehow survived the Battles of Pieta during the Northern Campaign, of Staff during the Rebellion, and of Rabona just after the Organization's collapse. To this day, I am left questioning how I managed to do so, whether it be from luck or misfortune.

* * *

It wasn't until a while later that I continued regeneration of my mostly-healed leg, being able to examine what remained of the injury and determine that it was likely broken clean in two places. It hurt like hell, the pain becoming apparent once all the adrenaline wore off, but the pain eventually subsided once the injury was as close to fully healed as I could possibly make it. When I thought it was done, I got to my feet, stumbling a bit as I struggled to find balance but good enough after to walk over to the scene of the end of the battle.

The moon was high in the sky at that point, shining through the leaves in the trees and lighting the ground in an ethereal glow that under normal circumstances would look gorgeous but in that current time was markedly out of place. I looked around at the remains, the blood, and marks on the ground and trees that reminded me of what had happened just a while before, causing me to sigh. After taking the time to briefly reflect on things, I finally got to work with the burial.

For many of those reading this with little knowledge into the life of the warriors during those days, the idea of us burying the dead might not have crossed your mind, and for those of you where it did, you may likely assume that we had some sort of ritual to perform during it or that we had tools of some kind to assist in the burial. Unfortunately, many of those thoughts and ideas are likely taken from rumors from those times, many of those rumors saying quite negative things about what rituals we did.

Regarding rituals, we only had a single yet simple on; whenever a warrior died in the presence of others, they were buried like any other person, with the only exception being it was nearby where they died and never in their hometown like you see with soldiers, guards, and heroes. Not only this, their grave was always marked with their sword, a symbol of their fighting spirit and a testament to their bravery. Following this was a period of silent reflection, many of the warriors at the time having no ties and little sense of religion or superstition.

This brings about the other question of how we bury them, though. It's a question that many rumors and stories have attempted to answer, with some attempts being wild and fantastical like the use of a technique taught to all warriors and others being simple and pragmatic such as one where we always carried some sort of small shovel to help in these circumstances or that we would use our swords to dig. In truth, many of these were completely off the mark, with only a handful being close to reality.

In actuality, we were forced to dig the graves with both our swords and our hands.

It was indeed a brutal, painful, and oftentimes exhausting task, but moreso in many other ways than just simply physical. Many warriors were unlucky to die alone, some deaths quickly following their stumbling onto an awakened being or hoard of yoma, but to those who died in company, we often found ourselves becoming friends to some degree. So, it was soul crushing to not only witness their death but to be forced to bury them, ones for which you so cared for. It was something that always sticks with you, and I was no different.

In my situation, it took ages to do, using a combination of my sword and my hands, crying at many points during this. It wasn't until the moon had moved much lower in the west that I finally finished, being sure the graves were a decent depth. Despite how long it took I actually worked quite fast as I had great experience with the whole process, a skill both somber and most unfortunate to have. Once the remains were placed and the graves filled, I simply placed the warriors' swords into the ground, marking their graves for as long as the swords remained there.

With it all completed, I dusted off my hands and outfit of dirt and dust, and following a moment of reflection and some more tears, I finally left, though I was unsure of where I was headed.

The next day is mostly a fog to me sadly, likely much of it traveling or at least figuring out where to head next. Much of what I do remember is mainly the knowledge that I spent a great deal of that time in quiet reflection of those lost. It was hard for me honestly, as it is most of the time when you lose a friend or loved one. Those two warriors, Nina and Noma, I sparred against and worked with for years before. They were friends by that point, and just like that, they were gone. Even as I walked then, memories just seemed to flash by in mind, every motion or object seen or word spoken brings back a subtle hint of a memory, even ninety years later. So, it was no wonder I was in a haze then.

I remember what a friend told me a year after that moment, saying something along the lines of "It's like looking into a clear, slow moving stream. You can see what lies beneath it, but if you look quick you can also see the reflections." Or something like that... But back then, I didn't know that. All I knew was that there was a powerful awakened being on the lose and that I had just lost two friends to it.

* * *

The next night was startlingly quiet despite the presence of the usual sounds of crickets chirping and the occasional frog or owl, and I knew it to be due to the sudden lack of companions I was so used to after how many years of travel. I had gotten used to there being others during my journeying, the evening discussions, the planning, but most importantly the laughs and stories told were something that I greatly missed. Those days, even as I look back on them, are warmer to my heart than I knew back then. They were something I put little thought into, took for granted, but when they disappeared, it weighed heavy on my soul. For all of the deaths and the quiet, the absence of friends to talk to was the most difficult then.

I had trouble sleeping that night, dreaming of those two and others that had died fighting alongside me and waking to the feeling that I was about to be attacked in the night by some unknown enemy only to find that it was my overactive nerves. I can't recall how many times I cycled through those states, sleeping, waking suddenly, then being left to sit and reflect before sleeping again, but after some time I was left to sit there partially awake to continue my reflection, trying to make sense of what went wrong during that battle.

But, the universe would grant me little reprieve to do so.

As I sat there for a bit, I remember hearing what sounded like a struggle or shouts from far off in the woods. I wasn't sure what it was when I first heard it, but as it continued, I realized that something was definitely afoot.

 _Bandits?_ I thought to myself. It was definitely a possibility that bandits had begun to appear following my previous journeys throughout the west and south, that or they were simply moving around to avoid the warriors, but it puzzled me why they would be so far north, seeing as the highest concentration was in the south following a period of slow destruction by the awakened beings there just before the collapse. _Slavers?_

I was left thinking what it could be for a bit as it continued, even contemplating moving closer to investigate, and after listening, I determined it was likely bandits raiding a group of their things at a campsite. Against better judgement, I got to my feet and took off towards the source of the sounds, ready to investigate further. Eventually the sounds died down, signaling they were leaving whomever they were harassing, though I continued forward towards the source, knowing that I was perhaps somewhat close.

Suddenly and with no warning, I heard very loud, blood-curdling scream, a sound that only signaled that a terrible scenario was unfolding. I stopped for a moment, startled and disturbed, and I held my breath listening to the quiet sounds of the forest. It felt like an age that I stood there watching into the moonlit woods waiting to sense or hear or see something, but nothing came. That was, of course, until I sensed a faint source of yoki coming from the general direction of the scream. Piecing together things, I realized it was likely an awakened being, very likely the same one I fought the night before, and without a second thought, I took off running as I knew then there was no time to waste.

I moved quickly through the forest, closing in on my destination while keeping track of the faint yoki source before me, it slowly getting stronger as I closed in. The thought of more people suffering because of the thing pushed me forward, blindly driving me directly towards it. This blind, maybe even maddened, run was something I now think to as incredibly stupid of me; indeed, there was no doubt I wouldn't stand a chance, but in that instant, I only thought of the remote possibility of saving even one person from that thing, hoping to prevent more lives lost.

After a time, the yoki source began to fade, eventually disappearing from my senses completely, and once I came to a stop, I looked around almost madly trying to figure out where it could have gone. With it nowhere in sight, I huffed frustratedly, knowing that I had lost it and was likely too late, possibly being scared off.

 _Damn it,_ I thought to myself, sighing. I stood there looking around for a moment, wondering which direction it had gone, but I soon picked up on what looked like hoofprints and footprints underfoot, signaling the path the group of bandits and likely the awakened being had taken. After standing there for a moment to see if I could sense the beast again, I chose to follow the prints, knowing that I'd likely find something.

I moved at a slower pace than I did before to take care in looking for further signs of the awakened being, traveling with the tracks for what felt like ages, and although this seemed to yield nothing for a time, I soon enough stumbled upon what looked like a campsite, the fire having been put out, save for some smoldering embers, and the site being completely ransacked with clothing and belongings strewn about. After looking around, I continued forth with the tracks.

In only a short distance, I would evidence of the gruesome scene that had ultimately unfolded that caused me to arrive here.

"What... in the..." I couldn't even finish the sentence.

Strewn across the ground were body parts, arms and legs and pieces of bone and flesh all around, and on the ground and trees before me was a smattering of red, coating the surfaces in such a horrid way to highlight the violent act that took place. Mixed in with the cadavers were bits of cloth, leather, and even the spilled contents of a bag of coin, the moonlight sparkling off of the currency and the pools of blood here. It looked like some sort of grotesque attempt at art, the scenery around being the canvas, the blood the paint, and the bodies the used brushes.

I was left standing there, my mouth hung open at the scene before me as I was so gobsmacked with the amount of blood that I couldn't even pull myself away from looking on. I must admit I had seen my fair share of gory scenes in my day, many of which being enough to make any seasoned soldier faint, but this was on a completely different level. In fact, I hazard to say it was the most gruesome scene I had ever laid eyes on, a statement I stand by to this very day.

After some time watching on, I heard what sounded like a subtle cough near one of the mangled torsos, catching my immediate attention, and as I turned to look I noticed a mass of clothing move. _Someone survived? How could someone possibly survive this?_ I thought to myself as I practically ran over. As I got closer, I realized that it wasn't simply a person but a child, her head facedown in the pool of blood she was situated in, though I was too rushed then to pick up on any other details.

I knelt down and removed a blood soaked cloak that was partially covering her face and chest, revealing her to be covered in blood. She was clearly alive from the looks of it, situated on her back within the blood and muck, but only just as she clearly struggled to move let alone speak or cry. I was forced onto my knees as she reached out and grabbed hold of me, my hand hitting the soaked ground to stop my fall.

"Hey, hey," I said as she was reaching. Now on my knees and with blood on me, I grabbed hold of her and held her in my arms. I continued, though a little more frantically given the whole situation: "What happened to you? Who did this to you?"

She looked up to me with a look so mixed with emotions that it burned itself almost instantly into my mind; the fear, the weakness, the relief and confusion, they were all something I had never seen before in the face of a child, an sight I would never wish upon anyone.

"M-Miri..." She attempted to speak to me between breaths. "Miria? Are you the real Miria?"

"Who did thi-" I stopped myself as I looked down, noticing she was holding her gut, or rather where her gut would be.

She had been clearly gutted alive, the only things remaining were a few key organs like her lungs and heart, and with blood pouring out of her, I quickly realized that this was definitely the signs of an awakened being feeding on her. Not only this, I also was beholden to the terrible injury that was he legs being completely mangled, likely to prevent her from running away. This poor girl, this innocent child, so young and full of life, was preyed upon and marred by this beast, and was now on her deathbed.

"Wh... Oh my..." I couldn't find words to say, stunned with what I was witnessing.

"It hurts," she said weakly. "It hurts all over."

"H-hey," I said, trying to keep her calm. "Don't worry, I'll get some help, alright? I'll get-"

"I saw it," she said, her eyes widening as she said it. "The Beast."

"The what? What are you-" I didn't know at the time what she was referring to, if it was just the awakened being she was attacked by or something else, but it wasn't until later that I found out what she spoke of.

She continued, "The beast of the story mommy told me. The one... the spirits beat for hurting people. I saw it. The one... with the white mane."

Her description immediately brought back my memories of the awakened being from yesterday, her description, albeit simple, matching what I saw then. Of all the things she said that I didn't know or was confused about, the story she heard from her mother included, this simple description of a beast with a white mane was no doubt a match. For an instant, I felt a hint of rage grow within me as I held her but this was quickly dashed away as my focus was now on the fact that she was clearly fading now, her breathing becoming shallower and softer.

"Hey. Hey!" I said to her, desperation setting in. "Stay with me. Come on, stay with me." Without thinking, I shouted into the forest, exclaiming, "Hey! Someone! Someone help!"

"Can you..." I heard her small voice go, causing me to turn back to her. "Can you... keep a promise?"

"Yeah," I replied, realizing that this was it for her. "Yeah, anything."

"If you ever meet the spirit... tell them... that we haven't.. forgotten... about them," she said finally. I nodded instinctually, watching her fade from consciousness, her body becoming completely limp within my arms as I sat there.

"Hey!" A voice exclaimed from a distance. Looking up to see who had just spoken, I realized it was a man armed with a sword, likely either a passing journeyman or a bandit. "No sudden mo-"

Upon our eyes meeting, the look on his face shifted to complete shock, something that I honestly should've been expecting, but unfortunately for me, his reaction would be perhaps the worst kind for my then-present situation.

"Wh..." he stopped for a moment to look at the horrific scene before him, reminding me of its overall appearance. I quickly looked around, then down to the now-dead girl, then back to him, piecing together the same thoughts as he was likely forming then. "What the hell?!"

"Wait! No!" The words rushed out of my mouth as soon as they came to me. "You've got the wrong idea!"

"Y-y-you monster!" He stammered, as he repositioned himself into a defensive stance. "You silver-eyed witch!"

"No! You've got to listen to me! You've got it wrong!"

During this brief interaction, I failed to notice the sounds of hooves approach from the distance, coming to a stop at multiple positions around me, but when I did notice, I knew immediately that the time for explanations was over. I needed to find a way out, and fast.

"What in the hell happened here?" one rider asked in disbelief.

"Who is that?" asked another.

"Wait!" The sudden exclamation caused me to make eye contact with another of these riders. As our eyes met, I knew instantly what he was going to say. "You're Miria, the one leading the other claymores!"

With the sounds of weapons being drawn, my heart sunk right down into my gut as soon as he said this. Without thinking or hesitation, I pushed myself to move, instinctually grabbing the blood-soaked cloak beside the girl's body while setting her down quickly. With my legs free of her weight, I jumped up, and using my technique, I ran, refusing to stop as I knew they would be short behind.


End file.
